Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik visits Parliament, says no discussion on consensus candidate for Presidential election

For the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik visited the Parliament on Tuesday to meet the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MPs and several other leaders.

New Delhi: For the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik visited the Parliament on Tuesday to meet the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MPs and several other leaders. Patnaik is on a three-day tour of the national capital. Speaking to media persons in the Parliament, the five-time Odisha Chief Minister said, "So far there has been no proposal or discussion on a Presidential candidate for the upcoming presidential polls." Asked if the Opposition will put up a consensus candidate, he said, "I have neither thought anything about it nor do I have any proposal so far."

On the chances of the BJD joining the opposition parties' effort to stitch an anti-BJP front, Patnaik said, "We have not looked into the possibility as yet." The BJD has nine MPs in Rajya Sabha and 11 MPs in the Lok Sabha. The regional party carries a lot of political significance when it comes to the passage of crucial bills and also the elections for key Constitutional posts. The BJD is often seen as a fence player and extended its support to the the BJP-led NDA government.

ANI